Shadow: The Origin
by fusoya
Summary: this is the story of Shadow as so many want to know
1. In the Morning

Everyone always wonders who Shadow is and where he's from. Well here is his story…  
  
  
  
Very early in the morning when the air was sharp and crisp in South Figaro Samuel Arrowny heard a scream echoing out of his daughter's room. Samuel leaped out of his bed and ran down the hall to his daughter's room. He opened the door that was paint in a rainbow of colors and in different cursive strokes said Relm's Room. Samuel flung the door open and to his surprise he saw his wife and daughter in the room with a little Doberman puppy.  
  
"Now what is this," Samuel asked the two.  
  
"I decided to give into the temptation," his wife, Saria, so keenly noted.  
  
"Do you like her daddy?" asked Relm  
  
"Of course, what will you call her?"  
  
"I was thinkin sumthin like Shadow."  
  
"Why Shadow, isn't a strange name for a girl."  
  
" No, it matches her black fur."  
  
"Saria can we talk?" Samuel insisted.  
  
"Relm I be back in a second sweetie," Saria said while walking out.  
  
The two went to the kitchen to discuss the pet situation over their favorite drink, coffee. Samuel told Saria the reasons why their little three-year-old girl couldn't have a pet.  
  
"Saria with the election of Gestahl to watch over Vector. It is causing a panic and with those "Green Peace" Returners who closed the mountains of Narshe to the outside world, all of the raw materials are being lost. The only things keeping this world afloat are the rich people of Jidoor and all of the Figaros. I have recently received word that King Figaro has fallen ill and the family is feuding over who will receive the crown after his death. The Returners will have a hay day with this information and the leader, Banon, will surely try to start some sort of uprising to destroy the links that sustain the government."  
  
"But, I thought that all of the election mumbo jumbo would help the government to stabilize itself and the Senate would make the land prosper."  
  
Contemplating this new information Samuel gets up and goes to get the morning paper. He reads the front headline and coffee comes shooting out of his mouth with a surge of energy. "Oh my God, Saria, Gestahl has declared martial law over all of Vector. This will destroy the economy."  
  
"What is he planning to do?" Saria asked.  
  
"I am not sure but we must keep a close eye on it. Though I fear that he is power hungry and will come after Figaro next."  
  
"If he has taken over Vector, does that mean that he has taken over the…"  
  
"Yes, he has taken the Senate also."  
  
Just then Relm and Shadow came into the kitchen. "Daddy can you show me how to teach Shadow to fetch?" Relm so innocently asked.  
  
"Not yet honey She has to get bigger first." 


	2. A New Beginning or a Sad Goodbye

As time went by Gestahl's power grew to incredible strengths. He had taken every village on the Southern Continent. The people of Figaro fled to neighboring towns knowing that their home would be the next target.  
  
Six months after they heard the news, Samuel Arrowny and his family moved to his father -in-law's house in Thamasa. The town of Thamasa was known for its green grass and its rich soil. Most of the outside world did not know how the town was so lucky. But, some knew the real reason was because Thamasa was a town full of mages. The people would use their magic to cultivate and harvest the land and raise the best crop. The only downside to Thamasa was that it was an extremely recluse little town. The only people that would come to the town from the outside world were traders, and they would stay at the port thirty miles away. The only problem came when the children began to learn magic, often uneducated in the art the children would cause problems.  
  
Before they had arrived in Thamasa, Relm had never met her grandfather, Strago Magus. The man was shorter in stature with long black hair and beard to match. Strago was known as a prankster who had had his dealings with the authorities because of his ways.  
  
One day at the port Samuel and Strago were trading goods with the men and Shadow, who had gone with them, ran onto the boat. When they found her they also found a male Doberman following her. Nothing very eventful happened in the family's new life. Until one day Relm asked Samuel, "Daddy why does Shadow look so fat."  
  
Samuel inspected the dog and soon replied, "Well honey she's pregnant, looks like she's gonna have a big litter too."  
  
Relm ran around the house with shouts of joy. When the time of the birth was near the house was bustling trying to get ready. Then Strago ran into the room and gasping said Ms. Arbole's house is on fire. Saria quickly ran out of the house. She tried to use her water and ice magic on the fire but was unsuccessful so she entered the house. While in the house she found Ms. Arbole's in a corner. Saria lead the woman out of the house and reentered to put the fire out. Relm saw her mother go back in and she went after her with Shadow following. At this point the fire had begun to whittle away at the support columns. The house began to moan and then began to fall. When Saria saw Relm she yelled at her to get out, but the little girl would not leave. Sensing Relm was in trouble Shadow grabbed her dress and drug her out of the house. Seconds after the house collapsed killing Saria.  
  
Shadow returned Relm to her father who was almost in shock from the tragedy. As Relm was asking where her mother was a loud explosion accompanied by a huge ball of fire arose from the rubble. Everyone ducked down to the ground hoping not to get hit. Then Samuel heard a yip from beside him when he looked up he saw Shadow with a splintered piece of wood through her neck. Then he noticed that the dog was on top of Relm, Shadow had saved her.  
  
Reacting quickly Samuel cut open Shadow's stomach with his pocketknife. Blood seeped from the wound while Samuel had his hands inside the dog. Watching in horror Relm was astonished to see Samuel pull three puppies out of the carcass. Relm cried when she realized that Shadow was dead, then all of a sudden she looked at Samuel and asked. "Where's mommy?"  
  
Samuel asked Strago to take the puppies so him and Relm could go for a walk. On the walk Relm was mostly quiet and conserved. In response to this Samuel didn't push anything until she asked. Finally after twenty minutes the subject of Saria came up and Samuel explained everything to Relm.  
  
Heartbroken Relm ran away from Samuel. Samuel knew that she would eventually come home. Before Relm could return Samuel received a letter from the army that had been built to fight off Gestahl. The letter required Samuel to travel to Albrook before the day's end. If he didn't a recruitment team would come and physically remove him from his home. Forced to leave right then and there Samuel told Strago he had to go. Strago wished Samuel well and told him that he would take care of Relm. Strago also insisted that Samuel take the only puppy that had survived. A little dog that Strago had named Interceptor for the dogs mother who had intercepted the piece of wood meant to take Relm's life.  
  
Samuel left Thamasa with a hole inside him telling him just how much he would regret leaving his daughter's side. 


	3. The Decision

Samuel had been in the army for four years. He was well known for his accomplishment of having the most kills in the war. Samuel had changed so much that he felt he was a different person. He made it so no one called him Samuel anymore, now he only went by a code name, Shadow.  
  
While starting his fifth year in the service Gestahl's forces had won and the war was over for now. Shadow was a changed man, he was no longer the calm and gentle father that he had once been. Making the hardest decision of his life Shadow decided not to return to Thamasa, instead he would become a mercenary and live like a nomad along with Interceptor.  
  
Every so often Shadow would return to Thamasa and look through Strago's window at his darling little daughter. One day Shadow approached Strago in the woods and said, "Strago it's me Samuel."  
  
"WOW, you dressed in all black, Relm will be so happy to see you," Strago responded.  
  
"I'm sorry but I can't stay, do me a favor and give this to Relm. It's a letter that tells of my death in the war. Please go along with this story for I can never see my daughter again," Shadow said with a trembling in his voice.  
  
And all people know how the story goes… 


End file.
